Association between mammalian lifespan and circadian free-running period: the circadian resonance hypothesis revisited

Biological rhythms that oscillate with periods close to 24 h (circadian cycles) are pervasive features of mammalian physiology, facilitating entrainment to the 24 h cycle generated by the rotation of the Earth. In the absence of environmental time cues, circadian rhythms default to their endogenous...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBiology letters (2005) Vol. 6; no. 5; pp. 696 - 698
Main Authors Wyse, C. A., Coogan, A. N., Selman, C., Hazlerigg, D. G., Speakman, J. R.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England The Royal Society 23.10.2010
Subjects
Animals
Circadian
Circadian Rhythm
Free-Running
Life Expectancy
Lifespan
Mammals - physiology
Neurobiology
Phylogeny
Primate
Primates
Rodent
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Summary:Biological rhythms that oscillate with periods close to 24 h (circadian cycles) are pervasive features of mammalian physiology, facilitating entrainment to the 24 h cycle generated by the rotation of the Earth. In the absence of environmental time cues, circadian rhythms default to their endogenous period called tau, or the free-running period. This sustained circadian rhythmicity in constant conditions has been reported across the animal kingdom, a ubiquity that could imply that innate rhythmicity confers an adaptive advantage. In this study, we found that the deviation of tau from 24 h was inversely related to the lifespan in laboratory mouse strains, and in other rodent and primate species. These findings support the hypothesis that misalignment of endogenous rhythms and 24 h environmental cycles may be associated with a physiological cost that has an effect on longevity.
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ISSN:1744-9561
1744-957X
DOI:10.1098/rsbl.2010.0152